Golf club



Nov; 28, 1944. M. B. REACH GOLF CLUB Filed Feb. 13, 1942 .2 sheets sneet 1 122730, E Zs'dc/l M %M@MMM Nov. 28, 1944. M. B. REAcH 2,363,991

GOLF CLUB Filed Feb. 15,1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov; 28, 1944 D STATES PAT E NTOFFICE a GOLF CLUB Milton B Reach, Springfield, Mass. Application February 13, 1942, Serial No. 430,8 1 1" 22 Claims. rotate-s This invention relates to golf clubs and has divers objectives as will be set forth herein. In its broadprinciples of assembly the invention relates to both Wood and iron type clubs.

Ironclubs have almost exclusively been made in'what may be described "as the external hosel type, wherein the hosel of the'head is a socket into which is assembled the shaft. This assembly is of several common forms. In'one form theshaft and hosel are threaded together; in another they are rivetedtogether; in another they are united in a frictionalcontact, In all of. these assemblies ashoulder results at the top ofthe hosel member that is usually finishedoff by tapered wrappings or by a ferrule. i The common practice thereforeisto assemble the parts into a semi-finished club and thereafter complete the finishing operations. In woodf clubs the socket of the head is bored to receive the end of the shaft (which is usuallypinned in), and the shaft is assembledthereto with the head in the white. The parts are then blendedltoe. gether in a sanding operation, wrappings applied; and finally finished. i i l It will be noted in thesevarious assemblies no flexibility of procedure or assemblyexists in the shipping room. Clubs. are started and finished to a prescribed model or specification, and: un-

' joint 'as will appear hereinafter.

[full finish. Also golf club headset various shapes and weights .canjbe stored intheir .full finish, and the parts can be mated .togetherto meet the requirements of current orders in the assembly shipping room. This contributes to efliciency in service anddecreased stock investment. 1

To this end, the invention contemplates the provision of a construction of golf. club enabling ready and secure assembly of the shaft to .the hosel of the club head. l I accomplish my purposes as hereinafterdescribed by way of example. In the accompanying drawings h Figure 1 is a view partlyin longitudinal section, and partly in' elevation of a club head of the iron type with a portion of the shaft. Fig. 2 isa cross sectionalview oi the upper part of the hosel on the1ine 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the lowerend Fig. 1. l i

. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of ainodified form of club of the iron type.

a the tubular metal shaft on the line 3-3 of Fig. 5 is across section of a part of the hosel of Fig. 4 onthe line':5'--5. Fig. 5a is a cross sectional view of head of the screw forming a part of the hosel of Fig. i on the line 5%511.

. Fig.6 is a' cross sectional view of the hollowa.

metallic shaft on the line 66 of Fig. 4. a

Fig. '7 showsthe club head and hosel of Fig. 4 partly. in section. Y r U i f Fig. 8 isa sectional view of the hosel head of Figg' l, l

Fig. 9 shows a wooden headccmbined with an internal hoseliofmetal. i i ReferringtoflFigs. 1 to 3 inclusive the club head 1101? the iron-has an'internal hosel 8, or one that fits into a hollow*shaft.wThis hosel is in one piece integral with said clubhead; It has a stem portion 9 of reduced diameter. relative to the diameter of its head portion. Ill and to the .body or base portion8 which is of the same diameter as the hosel head;

Thisstructure of the internal hosel with portions' of relatively difierent diameters enables ine to obtain a tight and proper fit between the parts, hosel and hollowmetallic shaft, because t he differential diameters present shoulders extending circumferentially of the hosel-with which com plementary annularly arranged shoulders on the interior of the shaft. will contact to make a tight The, head [l0 of. the internal hosel is provided withkeyways orgrooves Ilia say for instance, two innumberspaced 180,or three in number spaced apart, as showir' These keyways are comparatively shallow and they communicate with the annular space 9a around the stein ii. of the hosel, so that shoulders are provided at ll at the lower ends of said keyways which are engaged by. a shoulderonthe interior of the shaft.

. The keyways are preferably of lessdepth than saidspace. j t

.Theflower end 'of the hollow metal shaft is provided with keys I! pressed inwardlyof the thin metal composing the shaft. These rib like porto positions out of line with the keyways maand will engage the underside' of the shoulder of i like) the head HI of the hosel and thus the shaft will be locked to the hosel against being withdrawn by a movement in an axial direction.

The head In of theinternal hosel may be integral, as shown, with the stem portion 9 of said hosel or it may be riveted thereto or attached by a .screw thread. The larger diameters are approximately of a size to permit a slip fit for the shaft.

Before the hollow shaft is placed on the hosel a slug R of suitable binding material is placed within the shaft at its lower end portion, said material being of a kind to fasten the shaft and. hosel together; This material may be rubber, or plastic or a low melting babbit metal (or the The volume of this binding material com.- posing the slug would depend upon the amount of space that is to be filled within the joint between the hosel and the shaft. The different assemblies i. 'e. whether using rubber, plastic or low melting metal produce different qualities of feel. Rubber is the most suitable material for sweetness and shock absorbing qualities as well as having the capacity of recovery from torsional actions.

Having placed the slug of binding material (or material having other characteristics) in position as indicated at R, I then thrust, the shaft. onto the hosel as far as it will go and then with a quarter turn lock the shaft against the hosel. Then the portion of theclub where the slug is located is clamped in a heating unit and a. pressure mandrel is introduced into the hollowshaft from the upper end thereof and sufiicient heat is applied to melt the slug of material, whereupon the material will be forced. downward by the pressure mandrel into all the open spaces between T the shouldered hosel and shaft, thereby securely I do not limit myself .to any particular method,

the shaft is composed. These keys are desirably of elongated or riblike form, although the invention is not limited in this respect. These rib like members or projections may be-formed by a blunt pointed tool and they may be of generally are shape or of other cross sectional shape. They are made of a width to slide through the keyways into a position to interlock with the shoulders on the hosel when the shaft is turned about its axis to disalign its projections or keys .l 2 relativeto the keyways in the hosel. I

Of the several filling materials mentioned here'- in rubber is considered the best because of its shock absorbing qualities (and its torsional virmake possible the use of smaller rough blocks from which the heads are turned, thus saving a material which is growing scarce (persimmon);

'Inthe assembly of clubs of the wood typ I introduce into the head, as in Fig. 9, a metal hosel member 8a'of a form to preserve the locking and assembly technique described herein. -.I 'first bore the wooden head for the metal member-."the

, lower body of this member having been. prepared 1 for a gluing assembly by having vulcanized thereto a. rubberized fabric. I then rough up th'ezfabric surface andv coat with glue.. I also apply a thin coating of glue to the walls 'of .thebore. The two parts are. then dried under pressure. When a proper union has been achieved, I then completely finish. the head in its full lacquered form and store it ready for the shaftassemblyas described. An alternate assembly would consist of a drive fit of the metal hosel memberinto the wood head and a transverse screw 8"!) or rivet holding it in place. l

An alternate method of assembly "may be em ployed. as shown in Figs. 4 to 8 by making the hosel member of substantially straight'formjhav ing one or more keyways or grooves l3 cut or pressed lengthwise therein, Fig. 4, and a screwhead member M of substantially the sarnediamthe desired result being possible. of achievement by various means, known to those skilled in the art but whatever means or method is employed the filling material when set will hold the parts in the position, substantially as assumed by them when they are interlocked by giving a relative movement of a. quarter, turn of one member in respect to the other.

It will be noticed that I overcome'objections and difiiculties in obtaining a tight'and proper fit between the parts by .carrying out the formation of the joint between-the shaft and hosel by employing as a feature, of said joint the two or more differential diameters of the parts to initially provide an interlocking connection by rotating one member, say a quarter turn. relative to the other, and then applying to .the assembled elements the cushioning or filling material which by occupying all spaces within the joint compensates for any lackof tightness in theinitial fit of parts, and secures the parts together in their assembled relation.

The keys l2 are desirably provided by pressing them inwardlyfrom thesheet metal shell. of which .length of this rib member is predeterminedktohave per end of the shaft may be inserted to give the screwhead member a quarter turn by engaging, for instance, a rib ,or kerf in said screwhead or the keyways thereof, thus moving the keyways out of registration and bringing the under sur face of the screwhead member into frictional contact with the top l3a of the internal rib or key 13b (or the like) in the shaft member Fig. 4. ,The

the top of it substantially flush with the top of the hosel stem on. which the screwhead member rides. It will be noted that the inte'rnal'rib (or the like), closely fitting into the ,keyways prevents any rotary movement inthepiarts and as the screwhead member (nut) is turned and tightened, the parts are locked against. lengthwise movement. To prevent'loosening .of .the screw-' head (.nut)- member under a sequence of vibrations, I may drive down into the shaft againstLthe screwhead member a soft rubber cork I1 that or rubber cement or plastic. I dosnotlimit my self to any precise technique to insure against movement of the screwhead member under vibratory'forces. i a

I may use in this modification a slug of rubber which may be vulcanizedto the screwhead and the adjacent parts of the joint asin the form first described." In both forms itwwill be noticed that the golf head has an internal hosel. In Fig. 1

this hosel is provided with a relatively smallstem portion extending between and connecting 9.

larger diameter top or head portion, anda large 1' diameter base portion. In Fig. 4 the stem belowthe head or top of the hosel is reduced to the extent of providinga groove or grooves I31 there- Reverting to Fig. 1, I show a metaldisk or plate member I8 bearing on the rubber slug R; This disk fitsthe larger diameterof the hollow shaft.

The mandrel by which pressure is applied to the I disk, and which mandrel is .moved along and within the hollow shaft to exert pressureupon the disk. l8 and upon the flowing rubber, is of a disameter to fit slidably within the lesser diameter of the hollow shaft, and therefore a space is left around the mandrel adjacent the. point where said mandrel contacts with the metallic disk l8. Thi would allow the flowing rubber to extrude upward into said space.

The metal disk however receives the end thrust of the mandrel and holding close contact with the, side walls of the shaft forces all the rubber (substantially) downward. The. metallic disc I8 is vulcanized to the rubber to avoidworking loose.

I Vulcanizable rubber compounds may be mixed to flow and vulcanize in hot water (just under boilingsay 180 to 200). The nature of compounding is amatter ofchoice and routine to'the skilled worker in the art. Some may prefer steam as a medimn and the compound adjusted accord ingly.

It will be noticedthat the hosel at its large diameter base portion, near where it l'oinsthe head of the. club, has an upwardly facing annular shoulder lying in one plane at a right angle tothe axis of the hosel, and thisshoulder acts as a stop todetermine theposition of the shaft when it is thrust into connection with the hosel. This limiting of the movementof the shaft which maybe done also by the lower. end of the key l2 Fig. 1

or 13b Fig; 4 coming against a shoulder on the hosel causes the upper end or shoulder on the key or keys. l2 or l3b to assume such a level in respect to thehead of the hosel that when the shaft is turned to interlock with the hosel bydisaligning the key l2 in respect to thekeyway Illa, the said upper end or shoulder of the key l2 will be close to the under face or shoulder H. of the head of the hosel. Desirably no camming action takes place between the key and the hosel, but theupper end of the key will be substantially in contact with said shoulder I l ornear enoughto prevent any, appreciable movement between said parts in a'direction lengthwise of the shaft. The small crevices between the parts will receive the rubber filling and upon being vulcanized will connect the shaft and hosel andprevent. any substantial j movement between said parts in addition to the cushioning action that said rubber or like filling material would provide. The same principle is involved in both forms of applicants invention of providing a preformed gated head I I] in theform of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 9 (or thegated head M of Figs. 4, 8), surmounting downwardly facing shoulder] l of the head of the I v areduced neckportion'll of Fig. .1 or 8a of Fig. 9 (or as reduced by grooves l3 in Fig. 4) and providing an under shoulder ll of Fig. 1 to be immediately engaged by the key I 2 Fig. l (or .key

131) in the modification of Fig. 4 engaging under.

the shoulder of the head I4) desirably without any camming action. The shaft is stopped, as to lengthwise movement, inboth modifications I and 4 as soon as the. upper shoulder. on the key gets into a plane permitting it to get under theshoul der ll 6f Fig.1 (or its equivalent in Fig. 4) by a relative rotative movement between theshaft and theheadof the hosel, the shaftbeing the part that turns inFig.1. The screw'head I4 is the part that turns inFig. 4todisalign its gateway with the key I3b (Fig. 4).

lclaimz 1. A golf club head having an internal hosel member with atrelatively large base andhead portion, with a keyway in theexterior lateral face of the head extending from the top through the bottom of said head, anda relatively small waist or stem portion connecting the said base and head portion. i i

2. A golf club headhaving a hosel member,

, said hosel member having an enlarged top por.

tion and a relatively small stem portion and a gateway, or keyway, in the top portion leading to the space around the small stem and below theenlarged top to accommodate passage of an interlocking key member to said space in a shaft assembly. 7

3. A golf club having a hosel, said hosel niemher having an enlarged top portion, a relatively small stem portion, one or more keyways in the top portion, a shaft member fitted over the hosel member, internally depressed key or locking means associated with the shaft member and engaging under the shoulder formed by the enlarged top portion of the hosel member, said shoulder being in one plane at right angles to the axis of the hosel, and a filler material introduced between the two parts to unify and solidify their unionand for positioning the shaft with its key substantially located in said plane and in contact with said shoulder.

4. In a golf club ahead having a hosel member of the internal type, said hosel having a space or spaces to accommodate an inwardly projecting part of the shaft wall to prevent rotary movement of one of said members relative to the other adapted to have relative rotary movement in re-- spect to said key of the shaft when. manually adjusted to disalign said key and keyway, and

locking means in the form of-a block of rubber or like material to hold said associated keyway carrier bypressure thereon. i

\ 7. A golf club of the internal hosel type having interengaging means between the hosel and the shaft, consisting of a key on the shaft, and a rotatable head on the hosel having a keyway, said keyway if alignedwith the key. onthe shaft alf lowing lengthwise relative movement of the shaft and hosel, said head being rotatable by means engaged therewith by insertion from the upper end of the shaft. r r

8, Agolf club comprising. a. head having :an internal hosel provided with ahead portion, having akeyway extending in the external laterally facing surface of the head in .a directionsubstantially lengthwise of said hosel, a hollow shaft having a key and adapted to, be positioned on the hosel by a relative movement axially and then rotati vely in a plane at right angles to the axis after said key has passed through the keyway, said key then having assumed a position against the unders'ide'of thehosel head, lying in a plane at right angles to theaxis, and means for fixing the shaft in its said position with the key disaligned in respect to the keyway to lock the shaft tothehosel.

:9-.,A golf club havinga head with an internal hosel having a keyway or groove extending lengthwise "thereof, ahead for :said' hosel GU11! nected thereto to turn in relation thereto, said hosel head having a keyway to be aligned with or disaligned from the keyway of the main part ofv the hosel,.-ashaf.t having akey to pass through i the-'keyway in the hosel head and into the keyvway of the hosel, to hold the shaftagainst rotary movement relative. to the hosel, the upper end ofsaid key providing'a shoulder and disposed adjacent the upperendof said keyway of the hosel, said, turnable head havingwa downwardly facing shoulder to contact with the shaft key and having: also means by which it -may be 'turnedb'y aninstrument introduced into the hollow shaft from the-topxthereof, saldturning of the head causing it to .disalign its keyway from that of the hosel and to lock the key of the shaft by the shoulder of the hosel head contacting said shaft key, substantially as describedv 10. A golf club having an internal hosel provided with a head rotatably connected thereto, a hollow shaft surrounding said hosel, said rotatable head having a shoulder to engage aicomplementary shoulder of the shaft to lock said vshaft on the hosel, said head having means whereby it may be rotated to cause the shoulder zthereofto overlie the shoulder on the. shaft and thereby lock the shaft in place and means for holding the shoulder to be contacted by a part of the shaft to limit the lengthwise positioning of the shaft onto the hosel, said hosel having a head pnovided inits exterior laterally directed face with a key way or keyways extending in a direction substantially vertical or lengthwise of saidhosel from the 'top through the bottom of said hosel head, said hollow shaft having a key projecting into the interior thereof to pass through the said keyway with the upwardly facing upper end of the key disposed in a plane-lying at right angles to the axis of said hosel-and immediately adjoining and below the downwardly facing shoulder on the under side of said hosel head, which shoulder'like wise lies in a plane at right angles to, the hosel axis, said key of the sha-ft locking the said shaft and hosel head against separating *movement when the shaft and hosel head are relatively set with the'key disaligned from the keyway and engaging said downwardly facing shoulder, and means for retaining'the shaft'key and the keyway said disaligned relation, substantiallyas scribed.

.12.- .A golf clwb according to claim 11 with-the hosel head with its keyway rigidly fixed tothe hosel.

H l 13. A golf club according to claim 11 in which the head of the hosel is mounted substantially coaxial-1y with saidihosel and rotatable relative to said hosel to disalign its keyway with the key of the shaft, substantially as descri-bed, l

14-. A'golf club comprising ahollow metallic shaft, .a, club head having a vhosel withincsaid shaft, said hosel having anupwardly facing stop shoulder to be contacted by a part of the shaft/to limit the lengthwise positioning of l the shaft onto the hosel, said hosel having a head provided in its exterior laterally directed face with a keyway or keyways extending in a direction substantially vertical fir-lengthwise of said hosel fromthe through the bottom of said hosel head, said hollow shaft having a ke'y projecting into the interior thereofjto pass through the said keywa-y with'the upwardly facing upper end of the key disposed in a plane lying at right angles to the axis of said hosel and immediately adjoining and. belowi' tbe downwardly facing shoulder on the under side of said hosel head, which shoulder likewisezlies in a plane at right angles to the rhosel.a;xis,.:said key of the shaft and the downwardly facing shoulder locking the said shaft and hosel head against separatingmovement when the shaft and hosel are relatively set with the key disaligned'ifrom the keyway, and means for retaining. the shaft key and the keyway in disalignedrel-ation, said means consisting of filling material in thecomparatively small space between the shaft and hosel for locking said parts against movement from the disaligned I positions} of the shaft key and the keyway. i

15. A golf club comprising a tubular shaft and an internal hosel received within said tubular shaft, said hoselhavinga head with a longitudinally "disposed gate or keyway therein, said hosel below said head being reduced providing a space between the body of the hosel at the reduced portion and the internal surface of the tubular shaft, said shaft having'a key thereof projecting inwardly' of the internal surface of the'shatt and disposed in said space, said gate or keyway of'the said hosel head permitting passage of said key of the shaft longitudinally therethrou'g-h and into said space between the reduced portion of the hosel and the internal surface of the shaft, said keyway permitting passage of filler "material th'erethrough to the spaces between the shaft and hosel, and filler material in said spaces, said filler material being set and holding the parts in position. I i

161 A golf club according to claim 15 in'which said hosel head and shaft-key'have shouldersinterlocked by relative rotary movement between internal hosel and having a key portion on itsinner side adapted pass through the keyway of the hosel and tolie when turned substantially against the shoulder on the lower face of the l hosel head, said shaft at its lower end fitting against the shoulder at the upper part of the base of the hosel, and being stoppedthereby in a predetermined lengthwise position, and means for i holding the shaft against turning relative to the keyway of the hosel headto thereby maintain the shaft in locking engagement with the hosel by reason of the disalignment of the key portion of the shaft with the keyway of the hosel head, the said means for locking the shaft and the internal I hosel together against relative circumferential movement consisting of filling material entered in the spaces in the joint between the shaft and the internal hosel. 3

18. A golf club accordingto claim 17in which said hosel head having a longitudinal keyway therein affording passage for said shaft projection longitudinally through said hosel head, and aifordingpassage for filling material through said head intothe spaces between the shaft and hosel, said upwardly facing shoulder of said shaft pro a 1 jection engaging under said downwardly facing shoulder of said hosel'head in interlocking relation preventinglongitudinal separation of the hosel andshaft, said interlocking engagement of the said filling material in thejoint between the hollow shaft and the internal hosel is rubber or similar material vulcanized tothe parts with which it contacts to hold them against assuming such relativepositions rotatively as would aid their separation while allowing yielding action in the joint, substantially as described.

19. A golf club comprising hosel and shaft members having interlocking shoulders, the

j shoulder of the hosel facing downwardlyand having a longitudinal keyway therethrough forthe flow of filler material to the spaces between the shaft and said hosel, said shaft having a projection providing said shoulder on, the shaft, said longitudinalkeyway providing passage for the projecting shoulder on the shaft to pass therethrough into its position engaged under and interlocked with the shoulder on the hosel by relathe said shoulders being at apoint rotatively re,-

moved from said longitudinal keyway of said hosel head, and filling material in said keyway andin the spaces betweenthe shaft andhosel and holding the parts in interlocked position. l 21. A golf club comprising a tubular shaft and e i an internal hosel received within said. tubular shaft, said hosel having a longitudinally disposed keyway therein, said shaft having a key thereof projecting inwardly of the internal surface of the a l shaft and designed to be received in said Ikeyway in the hosel, said keyway permitting passage of filler material thereinto, and filler material in said keyway and around thekey, said filler material being set andholding the parts in position, the upper'end of the keyway in said hosel being closed by a plate member secured to the upper terminal F portion of said hosel. l v i i 22. YA golflclub comprising a tubular: shaft and an internal hosel received Withinsaid tubular tive turning movement, and filling material in the l spaces between the shaft and hosel, said filling material being set and holding the parts in inter locked positiomsubstantially as described; A l 20. A golf club comprising atubular shaft, and a ho'sel or stem ofithe golf club head received within the lower end of said tubular shaft, said shaft, binding material between the surfaces of the shaft and internal hosel unifyingl the shaft and hosel, and a plate member secured to the upper end of the internal hosel and overlying and A 1 engaging the said binding material to prevent the l binding material from moving upward beyond the said plate member; A

t i It MILTO N B. REACH.

i. shaft having a projection thereon providing an upwardly. facing shoulder, said hosel having a head providing a downwardly facingshoulder, 

